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Setting up the User-Defined Dashboard within the m-Power Interface

The User-Defined Dashboard allows end users to choose an existing dashboard layout, or create their own by selecting applications from a list of developer designated applications. Any dashboard settings made by the user can be saved within their browser or to the server; this allows each user to make adjustments to the dashboard and save their changes separately. These user created dashboards can then be shared via URL, or made public to other users.

To configure a dashboard, select 'Dashboards' on the left toolbar within the m-Power interface. This will bring you to a listing of all configured dashboards for your current data dictionary.

Creating a Dashboard

To add a dashboard to this list, click the green plus sign.

Enter a name and description. Note: If your dashboard name has any spaces in it, these will be converted to dashes. However, at runtime, any dashes within the name will be converted to spaces. Click accept.

Adding Applications to the Dashboard

We are now ready to add our first application to the dashboard. If you have created a new dashboard, you will immediately be taken to the edit page. If editing an existing dashboard, click the 'Edit' button to edit your dashboard.

Click on the 'Add New Application' button. Select the dictionary, application type, and application name from the dropdowns. The 'Additional App Parameters' and 'Title' input boxes will be auto-populated. In the 'Additional App Parameters' input box you will see the text 'basic=3, dash=2, and run=2.' These parameters optimize the application's appearance to be loaded from within a dashboard. 'Select App Contents' allows you to display the Full Application, Table Only, Graph Only (available for reports), or a Custom Import. The 'Title' input box will default to the name of the application and will be seen by end-users at runtime. The 'Description' gives the user a summary of the application to help when choosing the application for their dashboard.

Finally in this window, you have the option of previewing the look of your application as it should appear in your dashboard with the 'Preview' tab.

Once saved, your application will be added to the list of available applications in your dashboard.

Adding Runtime Filter Criteria

To allow your end users to filter the data in their dashboard applications, you can create filter criteria. Add a new filter and assign the description for this filter option. Choose the Data Type, Input Type, and input style. Choosing a 'Date' data type will automatically make a calendar widget available for the end user to select a date value. The 'Text Input' input style gives the end user a text box to type a value to filter the data. Selecting a dropdown list or check box list requires the datasource to come from an external option list retrieval. Opting to use the 'Chart Drill Down' input type allows the end user to filter other applications by clicking inside the graph. Be sure to select the application that contains the chart you wish to allow drill down capability.

Finally, you can map which applications should listen to the filter criteria. Add the listener to the desired application and map the filter option to the appropriate field of the application.

Dashboard Settings

Customize the behavior of your dashboard with the Dashboard settings.

Lock Customizations: If disabled, the developer created Default Dashboard Layout is loaded at runtime and prevents the user from changing the dashboard.

Disable User Saving: Allows users to save a custom dashboard configuration to be opened at a later time.

Enable Multiple Tabs: Adds a tabbed dashboard for multiple dashboard layouts on a single page.

Enable App Selection List: If enabled, the user can open saved dashboards from prior sessions.

Dashboard Theme: Load the dashboard with a grey or white background.

The Settings are saved upon selection and the dashboard simply needs to be refreshed to see the new changes.

Default a Dashboard Layout

Once your applications have been added to the dashboard, you may create a default layout for your dashboard. Click the button 'Layout Default Dashboard' and configure the layout and applications as wanted. When finished, save the default layout by clicking the link in the bottom-right corner of the window. When the dashboard is executed, the default layout of applications will appear immediately. If allowed, your end user can then change the applications as desired.

Promoting the Dashboard to Production

You can promote a dashboard to production by promoting the entire data dictionary. Note that any applications that are in the dashboard but not in the same data dictionary will need to be promoted as well.

If you only want to promote the dashboard, you will need to promote the following files:

mrc_dashboards.txt

'DASHBOARD-NAME'_dashboard.html

These files can all be found in \mrcjava\WEB-INF\classes\'DATA DICTIONARY', where 'DATA DICTIONARY' is the data dictionary name. Additionally, the web.xml file in the mrcjava\WEB-INF folder also must be promoted. Replace 'DASHBOARD-NAME' with the name of the dashboard you wish to promote.

Additional Notes:

The HTML of your dashboard is fully customizable. Click the 'Edit Dashboard HTML' on the main dashboard screen to open the HTML text editor. Here you will find the dashboard layout as well as the selection panel to edit if you wish.